Shell Named Official Fuel Partner of FIA World Endurance Championship & European Le Mans

Shell has signed an agreement with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) as Official Fuel Partner to the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and European Le Mans Series (ELMS). 

The agreement will see Shell supply its range of Shell V-Power unleaded and diesel products to all teams registered in the WEC and ELMS from the beginning of the 2014 season. As part of its unique sporting heritage, Shell has previously enjoyed success in world championship sports car racing and the Le Mans 24 Hours in partnership with manufacturers such as Ferrari, Porsche, Matra-Simca and Audi. 

Returning to the WEC and Le Mans complements Shell’s suite of global motorsport activities as a cornerstone of its philosophy to continually push the technical boundaries of fuel and lubricant development. By working in partnership with the manufacturers participating in endurance racing, Shell now has an additional and unique platform for testing its products in a unique competitive environment. 

In addition to its role as Official Fuel Partner, Shell will bring additional capability to selected European events in the form of its Trackside Laboratory facility. The Shell Trackside Laboratory will allow both officials and competing teams the opportunity to access live data and analysis of all fuel and lubricant usage throughout the course of each event. 

“This is an announcement that goes back to the heart of Shell’s history in motorsport, and we are delighted to enter into this new three-year partnership as fuel partner to the FIA World Endurance Championship and European le Mans Series. For more than 90 years of endurance racing history there has been a clear benefit to Shell customers from ongoing innovation and development of our fuel technology in such a rigorously demanding environment, alongside motor manufacturers of vision. The exciting technical challenge of today’s WEC means that the teams can benefit from Shell’s unrivalled research and development capabilities to support the series.”

Richard Karlstetter, Racing Fuels Technology Manager, Shell, said: “It is very important for the Le Mans 24 Hours as the pinnacle of endurance racing worldwide, and also for the FIA World Endurance Championship to benefit from the backing of Shell as the Official Fuel Partner.  With the arrival of new major manufacturers from the motor car industry in this branch of the sport and the introduction of demanding technical regulations, to be in a position to take advantage of products of the highest possible quality is vital. The partnership between the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and Shell helps to make a significant contribution to moving forward the current issues linked to future mobility.”